It's been four years since Texan five-piece Midlake released The Trials of Van Occupanther, which, in my opinion (and with no hint of hyperbole) is a masterpiece. Evocative imagery of woodland life, travel and adversity wrapped around a blend of Fleetwood Mac soft rock (not a dirty word), Crosby Stills and Nash harmonies and the analogue synthesizers that characterised their debut. Everything about the album was pitch-perfect; the guitar solo on 'Head Home', the simple-yet-beautiful two-chord wonder of 'Van Occupanter' ”“ it was the complete package.Opening with lead single 'Acts of Man' (albeit a limited to 500 vinyl copies single), The Courage of Others hits the ground, well, walking. Delicately played acoustic guitar lines trade melodies as Tim Smith sings "If all that grows starts to fade, starts to falter, let me inside not to wake." Instantly the tone of what's to come is set; the themes of nature, earth and simple times are all still present but are this time underpinned with a melancholy.This idea of the affects of man seems to run through the core of The Courage of Others. As Smith sings almost entirely in the first person, a nameless protagonist weaves tales about the changing of the seasons, “As spring is made alive the winter dies,” death, “I will take my rest with all creatures who dwell under the smallest of green,” and the fate of future generations, “As their fortune appears it begins to die.” Even on the John Denver-aping ‘Fortune’ everything is delivered with a dejected, almost defeated, delivery which only goes to add to the sombre tone that permeates throughout.When setting the pitch of a record, instant gratification versus reward-through-investment is always a tricky one. While familiarity may lead to contempt so too can a lack of satisfaction, and this is something Midlake are treading close to here. The problem ”“ if you can call it a problem ”“ is that things never really get going. The whole affair is played out at such measured pace and volume that it’s easy to let it pass you by. On the few exceptions where things do pick up (‘The Horn’, ‘Winter Dies’, ‘Bring Down’) it almost sounds as if the band are playing like their lives depended on it ”“ but someone only turned the amps up to six. Bass lines still flourish with all the flamboyance of a lead guitar, guitars wrestle to keep wayward distortion at bay and vocals layer to create blankets of warmth, yet it still fails to make to stop you in your tracks.That said, this is still a very accomplished effort. Maybe with expectations so high and bars already raised it’s hard to stomach anything other than The Trials of Van Occupanther 2. Judging The Courage of Others on its own merits, the album does come alive when it’s afforded a little time and attention. Midlake are still masters of finding the perfect sounds and arrangements for everything they do ”“ it’s almost taken for granted. Where the Courage of Others may not pack as much punch as its predecessor, those who invest the time to listen and discover the record’s intricacies will soon find that there’s more on offer than first meets the ear.

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